Cooking and cooling apparatus



algmmw A. R THOMPSON COOKING AND COOLING APPARATUS 2 sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 10 1921 Q o 2 a o F Q Q o S Q\\ o 0 AW h A w M Sept, 11, W23.

A. R. THOMPSON COOKING AND COOLING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 10. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 11, was; I

entree stares linemen PATENT o truce.

ALBERT R. THOMPSON, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO ANDERSON-BARN- GROVEB MFG. 00., OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

COOKING AND COOLING APIPARATUS.

Application filed October 10, 1921. Serial No. 506,805.

State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cooking and Cooling Apparatus; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionflthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention relates to so called can cooking and cooling machines in which sealed cans or other suitable closed containers filled with vegetables, fruit, or other food or compound are passed successively through a cooking chamber, wherein they are subjected to sufficient heat to cook the goods, and then through a cooling chamber wherein they are: cooled; apparatus of this general character'being shown in my Patent #1,'241,168 dated September 25, 1917.

The invention is particularly designed and adapted for use in the process of cooking and cooling canned foods and the like under pressure. Certain canned foods require cooking at a temperature in excess of 212 F. and this temperature results in developing a pressure considerably above atmospheric within the cans, which pressure is apt to explode the cans or open the seams thereof; and to prevent such injury to the cans it is necessaryto maintain a pressure within the cooking chamber and exterior to the cans in excess of atmospheric; and also necessary to cool the cans while subjected to w an exterior pressure in excess of atmospherio until the pressure in the cans is reduced to approximately atmospheric pressure before the cans are discharged from the cooler; this method of cooking and cooling under pressure preventing the cans exploding or the seams weeping or opening with resultant spoiling of the contents of the cans.

One object of the present invention is to provide means for removingcans from the cooker and delivering them to the cooler by means of asingle rotary valve, which acts as a' delivery valve for the cooker and a feed-valve for the cooler.

Another object "of" the present invention is to enableboth the cooking and cooling to be effected underany desired pressure above atmospheric andthe cans to be directly transferred from the cooker to the cooler-under like pressure by means of a single rotary valve.

I have shown vand described apparatus for cooking and cooling cans under pres sure and for transferring cans from'the cooking chamber to the cooling chamber under pressure in my copending applications Serial No. 413,588 filed September 29, 1920 and Serial No. 436,065 filed January 10, 1921. In the present invention I employ separate cookers and coolers and use a single rotary valve for directly discharging cans from the cooker and feeding them into the cooler, such rotary valve being timed to operate in unison with the means for moving the cans in the cooker and in the cooler.

In the complete apparatus the means for moving the cans through the cooker and the means for moving the cans through the cooler are operated in exact synchronism, and the rotary transfer valve is operated in synchronism with both of said means, so

as-to successively receive cans from the cooker and deliver them to the cooler, thus enabling the complete apparatus to be operated as a unit with certainty and safety.

I will explain the invention with reference to the-accompanying drawings which illustrate one practical apparatus embodying the invention and an understanding of such apparatus will enable others to adapt and use the invention. In the claims the essentials of the invention and the novel features of construction and novel combinations of parts for which protection is desired are summarized. I In the said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a detail end elevation of parts of a cooker and a cooler showing the trans- .fer valve' connected therewith in elevation.

plan I view, partly .1. )iged transverse sec- In the drawinfgs B represents the cooker i which may be 0 any suitable construction.

It is preferably constructed as described in.

my Patent #1,385,594.-, *dated July 26,1921, and has a fluid tight cylindric casing 1 within which is a spiral canway 1 through which canway the cans are propelled b reel-rails 2. attached to spiders 2 on a sha t 2" which extends axially through the easing. The parts are constructed and operate to cause the cans to traverse the spiral canway from the feed inlet of the chamber (not shown) to the outlet thereof as usual, and as described in said patent.

As the cans reach the outlet of the cooker they are lifted or ejected from the canway 1 by means of a rotatable ejector or star wheel 3 mounted on a shaft 3 which may be supported in the reel in any suitable way or as described in said patent. The teeth of this ejector wheel engage with the reelrails '2 whose bases are preferably cut away to permit the teeth to engage the radial flange of the rail, as described in said patent; and said wheel is automatically rotated by said rails as the reel is rotated and in unison therewith.

The teeth of the ejector wheel project through the inter-rail spaces as they come opposite the outlet of the cooker and engage the cans successively and lift them out of the spiral 'canway l in the cooker and into the pockets of a rotary transfer valve 4 which is mounted on a shaft Psuitably journaledin a valve casing 5.

The rotary valve 4 is provided with a series of peripheral pockets 4*, and the valve is rotated in exact timed relation with the movement of'the reel-bars 2, 9 and with the rotation of the ejector wheel 3, so that the cans which are successively discharged from the cooker canway by the star wheel are successively received in the pockets of the valve 4 and successively carried thereby to the inlet of the cooler and dropped into the canway in the cooler.

The valve casing 5 has two openings at opposite sides, one of these openings 5 communicating with the outlet opening of the casing 1, and the other opening 5 communicating with the inlet of the cooler D hereinafter referred to. The outlet opening of the cooler is or may be surrounded by a frame. 6 which may be of any suitable construction. As shown it is provided with a flange 6, which is bolted to the casing opening 6 in its top closed by a cover 6. By removing this cover access can be had to the ejector wheel and inlet side of the valve casing 5. The frame 7 may be provided with an opening 7 in its top closed by a cover 7 by removing which access may be readily had to the outlet side of the valve casing 5.

The cooler D may be of any suitable con- I the opening 5 in the valve casing 5, so that the cans which are received from the cooker by valve 4 are directly delivered by said valve to the spiral canway in the cooker,- and are caused to traverse such canway to the outlet of the cooler by the reel bars 9 Arranged within the valve casing 5' below valve 4 is a can guide 5 which extends from the lower side of-the. opening 5 close to the line of movement of the outer edges of the reel-bars 2 and adjacent the ejector wheel 3, so that thecans C ejected from between the rails 2 opposite the opening 5 will roll into said opening and onto the inner upper end of guide 5 by which the cans are supported as'theyare moved into the pockets of the valve 4 in passing opening 5 and are then moved by the valve from the opening 5 to theopening 5.

Preferably a can guide 5 is attached to the inner side of frame5 above the upper end of the inlet 5" therein as shown in Fig: 3,

so that as the cans approach the opening.

5" they will be directed by this guide into register with the openings in the valve so that the cans will not be caught between the reeland the valve or parts in-the transfer operation.

1 of the cooker, and with an outer flange 6 which corresponds with the flange 5 on the side. of the valve easing 5. The inlet.

opening 5" of the valve casing communicates through the frame 6 with the cooker; and the outlet 5 of the valve casing communicates with the inlet of the cooler through a frame 7 corresponding to the frame 6 surrounding-the inlet opening of said cooler, and having a flange 7 bolted to the casing 8 of. the cooler-D, and an outer flange 7 fitted to a flange 5 surrounding the outlet opening 5 of the valve casing 5 and bolted thereto. 'The' joints between theframes 6, 7 and the cooker and cooler, and between said frames and the valve casing 5, are suitably packed so-that they. will be steam tight.

The 'frame 6 may be'provided with an The shafts 2 9 in the cooker and coolerfiD may be intergeared in any sultable way so that the reel-rails 2, 9 will move in exact synohronism and I'novethe cans through the canways 'in the cooker and cooler at exactly the same speed of linear move-- ment. This'gearing may be of any suitable kind and is not illustrated herein as it will be readily understood. The valve 4 is also driven in any suitable way so that the pockets therein travel at exactly the same linear speed of movement asthe cans in the canway, of the cooker and cooler. As shown a pinion 4 on the shaft of the valve 4 meshes with a gear 2* on the shaft 2 of the cooker reel, said pinion and gear being so proportioned as to rotate the valve at the required speed. The. ejector-wheel 3 is di-.

transferring onaco rectly driven by the reel bars 2 so it operates in exact sychronism with the movement of the cans in the cooker.

In operation the cans successively traverse the canway in the cooker, and as each can reaches the outlet opening in the cooker, opposite opening 5 in the valve casing 5, it is engaged by a tooth of the ejector wheel 3 and is raised out of the canway and passes through the opening 5 into a pocket 4 of the valve 4; being directed into the pocket by the castings 5 and 5 the cans being successively"e ected'from the cooker into the pockets of'the valve as they reach the outlet of the cooker.

Each can is movedby the valve 4 in the casing 5 acrossthe short space between the outlet of the cooker and inlet of the cooler and is discharged by gravity from the pocket of thevalve 4 through the opening 5 in the valve casing into the canway in the cooler, and is then moved through the canway in the cooler to the outlet thereof. Thus the can cooking and cooling operations may be performed continuously and the cooking and cooling chambers B and D maybe tightly closed, so that any desired pressure above atmospheric may be maintained therein which enables the cans to be cooked at any desired temperature. The pressure in the heated cans being above atmospheric the exterior pressure'in the cooker mustequal or exceed the pressure in the cans so that the cans will not explode nor their seams be ruptured; and this exterior pressure is maintained n the cans while in and passing through the valve casing 5; and similar pressure is maintained in the cooler, or in part of the cooler long enough to assure that the cans will be cooled sufficiently to reduce the pressure therein to below the danger point, so that the cans when discharged'from the cooler into the atmosphere will have been cooled down and can be safely delivered cooked and cooled without any injury to the seams; and thus the con-- tents of the cans are securely hermetically sealed and preserved.

I claim:

1. In c ombination a cooker, and a cooler arranged side by side and parallel, with they outlet f the cooker beside the inlet of the cooler; means for moving cans through the cooker;-means for moving cans through the cooler; a valve casing between and directly communicating with the outlet of the cooker and the inlet of the cooler, means in the cooker for directing cans therefrom into the valve casing, and a valve in said casing for cans directly from the cooker to the cooler.

2. In combination, a cooker, means for conveying cans therethrough; a cooler, means for conveying cans therethrough; a valve casing directly connected with the outlet of the cooker and the inlet of the cooler, a star wheel in the cooker for directing cans therefrom into the valve casing, and a rotary valve in said casing for transferring cans from the cooker to the cooler.

3. In combination a cooker, a cooler, means for moving cans through the cooker, means for moving cans through'the cooler; a valve casing betweeri and directly connected with the outlet of the cooker and the inlet of the cooler, a star wheel in the cooker for directing cans therefrom into the valve casing, and a rotary valve in said casing by which the cans are transferred from the cooker to the cooler.

4. In combination a cooker, and a cooler arranged parallel, with the outlet of the.

cooker beside the inlet of the cooler; means for moving cans through the cooker; means for moving cans through the cooler; a valve casing between and directly communicating with the outlet of the cooker and the inlet of the cooler, a star wheel in the cooker for directing cans therefrom into the valve casing, and a rotary valve in said casing for transferring cans directly fron1.the cooker to the cooler.

5. In combination a cooker, means for conveying cans therethrough; a cooler,

means for conveying cans therethrough; a valve caslng directly connected with the outlet' of the cooker and the inlet of the cooler,

a star wheel and guides in the cooker for directing cans therefrom into thevalve, and

a single rotary valve in said casing for transferring cans from the cooker to the cooler.

6. In combination a cooker, a. separate cooler, means for moving cans through the cooker, means for'moving cans through the cooler; a valve casing between and directly connected with the outlet of the cooker and the inlet of the cooler, a star wheel and a guide in the cooker for directing cans therefrom into the valve casing, anda rotary valve in said casing by which the cans are transferred'from the cooker-to the cooler.

7. In combination with a cooker and a cooler arranged parallel with the outlet of the cooker beside the inlet of the cooler, means for moving cans. through the cooker, means for moving cans through the cooler; a valve casing between and directly communicating with the outlet of the cooker and the inlet of the cooler, a star wheel and guide plates in the cooker for directing cans therefrom int the valve casing, and a rotary valve in said casing for transferring .cans directly from the cooker to the cooler.

8. In combination a cooker wherein pressure may be maintained above atmospheric, a separate cooler wherein pressure may be maintained above atmospheric, a spiral can way and a rotary .reel in the cooker and in the cooler for conveying cans successively through the cookermemher and through the cooler member, and a single valve for transferring cans from the cooker canway to the cooler canway while maintaining the exterior pressure thereon, and means operated by the reel in the cooker to discharge cans from the spiral canway therein into the valve.

9. In combination with a cooker wherein pressure may he maintained above atmos- )heric a siiral canwa in the cooker and a 7 y 7 V. 7

reel fpr conveying cans therethrough; a

separate cooler wherein pressure may be maintained above atmospheric, a spiral canway in the cooler and a reel for conveying cans therethrough; a valve casing directlyconnected with the outlet of the cooker and with thev'inlet ofcthe cooler; a single rotary valve in said casing having a series of peripheral pockets for transferring cans from the cooker to the cooler under pressure; and a rotary star wheel in the cooker operated by the reel to discharge cans from the canway into said valve.

10. In combination with' a cooker wherein pressure may be maintained above atmospheric, a spiral canway in the cooker, and a reel for conveying cans therethrough; a separate cooler wherein pressure may be maintained above atmospheric, a spiral canway in the cooler and a. 'reel for conveying cans therethrough; a valve casing directly connected with the'outlet of the cooker and the inlet of the cooler; at single rotary valve in said casing having a series of peripheral 1 pockets for transferring cans from the cookcasing between and directly communicating with the outlet of the cooker and the inlet of the cooler; a fixed guide in the cooker for directing cans therefrom into the valve casing; and a valve in said Casing for transferring cans past said guide directly from the cooker to the cooler.

12. In combination, a cooker; means for conveying cans therethrough; a cooler, means for conveying cans therethrough; a valve casing directly connected with the outlet of the cooker and the inlet of the cooler; a

fixed guide in the cooker for directingj ans, therefromntMhe-valve casing; means for directing cans onto said guide; and a rotary valve in said casing for transferring cans pastsaid guide from the cooker to the cooler.

13. In combination a cooker, a cooler, means for moving cans through the cooker,

= means for moving cans through the cooler; a valve casing between and directly connected with the outlet of the cooker and the inlet of the cooler, a fixed guide in the cooker for directing cans therefrom into the valve casing; a star wheel in the cooker for directing cans onto the guide; and a rotary valve in said casing by which the cans are transferred from the cooker'past said guide to the cooler. y

14:. In combination a cooker, and a cooler arranged parallel with the outlet of the cooker beside the inlet of the cooler; means for moving cans through the cooker; means for moving cans through the cooler; avalve casing between and directly communicating with the outlet of the cooker and the inlet of the cooler; a fixed guide in the cooker fordirecting cans therefrom into the valve cas ing; a star wheel in the cooker for directing cans onto-the guide; and a rotary valve in said casing for transferring cans pastsaid guide directly from the cooker to the cooler.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I afiixmy signature.

ALBERT R. THOMPSON; 

